Hamilton wins in Spanish GP, Vettel faltered to fourth

Dominant Lewis Hamilton has extended his 2018 Formula 1 title lead following a secure the victory at the Spanish Grand Prix while his title rival Sebastian Vettel fall to the fourth after his second pit-stop.

Hamilton stretch his F1 lead over Ferrari’s Vettel to 17 points. On the opening lap of the race Vettel split the Mercedes drivers to hold second place and a slow pit stop cost Bottas the chance to overtake the Ferrari driver.

But the German give back second place when he pitted during a Virtual Safety Car period later in the race and its
secure Mercedes’ first one-two finish of the season.

The victory, from pole position in a race that stayed dry despite the threat of rain, was the Briton’s second of the season, 64th of his career and third at the Circuit de Catalunya.

Mercedes regained the lead in the constructors’ championship from Ferrari, who had 2007 world champion Kimi Raikkonen retire from the race.

Max Verstappen completed the podium positions, despite damaging his front wing after crashing into the back of Sergey Sirotkin’s Williams.

Hamilton led from pole, with Vettel nipping ahead of Bottas to take second, but behind leaders a three-way crash was happened the error made by Haas F1’s Romain Grosjean.

Grosjean, lost control of his Haas at Turn 3 and slid back across the track in a cloud of tyre smoke. Toro Rosso’s Pierre Gasly and Renault’s Nico Hulkenberg were unsighted and could do little to avoid Grosjean as they both crashed into his out-of-control car.

All three were out of the race in an instant to mark another embarrassing chapter for Grosjean after he crashed out under the safety car last time out in Baku.

Daniel Ricciardo was fifth in the second Red Bull ahead of Dane Kevin Magnussen of Haas. Spaniards Carlos Sainz, of Renault, and two-time champion Fernando Alonso for McLaren finished seventh and eighth.

Mexican Sergio Perez of Force India made a late overtaking move on Sauber’s Charles Leclerc for ninth.